Ask an Expert
What is "Ask an Expert"?
Four times during the academic year, IEL will feature an Ask an Expert event, during which you can send questions by email or online on a particular subject to an expert who specializes in that subject.
Selected questions, and their answers, will be posted to a subject page in the Ask an Expert section of the IEL Web site. All other questions will be answered by email if an email address is provided.
Current Ask an Expert Event
Topic: Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood
Expert: Karen Stephens
Anyone who has spent any time with children knows that a child’s imagination knows few boundaries. Being able to navigate the realm of fantasy play is a natural characteristic of childhood. Children engaged in pretend play can be an endearing sight for adults watching them, but pretend play’s value goes far beyond entertainment. Imaginary play is a critical tool that children use to help them explore and gain greater understanding of the world and their place in it.
In this month’s Ask an Expert discussion, we’ll be exploring why children are naturally drawn to fantasy and pretend play. We’ll examine how such play supports children’s overall development and their ability to adapt to their environment and social life. We’ll be pondering questions like, “How does make-believe help children master emotional, social, and intellectual competence?” “Why do some children create imaginary friends?” “What is the proper role of adults in children’s imaginary play?”
Of course, there is a lot more to discuss about imaginary play beyond those questions. So send your own questions in to let me know what mystifies you about the topic. Together we can discover why children so wisely engage in this pastime throughout their early childhood years—which we’ll define as birth to age 8 years.
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Posting period:
Questions will be received from
April 1-21
Answers will be provided from approximately
April 8-29.
Future Ask an Expert Events
(Coming soon!)
Past Ask an Expert Events
| # | Topic | Title: | Expert: | Date: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Imagination | Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood |  Karen Stephens |
April 2008 |
| 11 | Project Approach | The Project Approach: Display and Documentation Techniques |  Sylvia Chard |
February 2008 |
| 10 | Bullying | Bullying in Early Childhood |  Dorothy L. Espelage |
November 2007 |
| 9 | Siblings | Sibling Relationships |  Amanda Kolburn |
September 2007 |
| 8 | Friendship | Helping Young Children Develop Friendships |  Karen Stephens |
April 2007 |
| 7 | Play | Children's Play - More than Fun and Games |  Jean Mendoza |
February 2007 |
| 6 | Problem Behaviors | Do Problem Behaviors Live inside Young Children? Or Do We Create Problems through Our Program Design? |  Dale Borman Fink |
November 2006 |
| 5 | Obesity | Childhood Obesity |  Darla Castelli |
September 2006 |
| 4 | Conflict | Helping Young Children Resolve Conflicts |  Karen Stephens |
May 2006 |
| 3 | Home Projects | Doing Projects with Children at Home |  Judy Harris Helm |
March 2006 |
| 2 | Diversity | Welcoming Hispanic Children and Families to Preschool Programs |  Cristina López-Sánchez |
January 2006 |
| 1 | Nutrition & Fitness | Preschoolers' Nutrition and Fitness |  Staff of the Illinois Interagency Nutrition Council |
November 2005 |
Past Chat Events
From 2002 through 2005, the Illinois Early Learning Project hosted periodic live chat sessions for parents and educators around the state, in which participants asked questions of chat guests in an online format. The resource lists and answers to questions (transcripts) on a number of current topics can be found through the following links:
The opinions, resources, and referrals provided on the IEL Web site and during IEL Chat sessions are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of medical or legal advice, or of other appropriate services. We encourage you to seek direct local assistance from a qualified professional if necessary before taking action.
The content of the IEL Web site and IEL Chat sessions does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois Board of Education.
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